Irish livestock exporters must be assured of full access to EU Single Market – MEP Maria Walsh

Irish livestock exporters must receive a guarantee that they will continue to have full access to the EU Single Market amidst a revision of live animal transport rules, MEP Maria Walsh has said. MEP Walsh raised the concerns of Irish farmers in a meeting of the European Parliament’s Agriculture Committee today, during a debate on […]
Op-Ed: The Mercosur Trade Deal is a risk for Irish farmers and standards

As the EU looks towards ratifying the Mercosur trade deal, significant concerns are growing, particularly among the many Irish farmers I meet and work with on a daily basis, writes Fine Gael MEP Maria Walsh. They are concerned about competing with imported products that are cheaper and produced at lower standards, threatening the livelihoods of […]
Online bank of Irish political deepfakes highlight need for urgent action – MEP Maria

The emergence of an online bank of deepfake images of Irish politicians and public figures highlight the need for urgent action at EU and national levels, MEP Maria Walsh has said. The bank of AI-generated content contains fake images of politicians that are easily available and free to download. MEP Walsh is calling for stronger […]
MEP Maria Walsh condemns European Commission’s removal of Anti-Discrimination legislation

The decision by the European Commission to withdraw crucial EU Anti-Discrimination legislation from its 2025 Work Programme represents an attack on the rights of people with disabilities, LGBTQI members and minority groups, MEP Maria Walsh has said. The European Commission took the decision this week to withdraw the Horizontal Anti-Discrimination Directive from its 2025 Work […]
European Commission priorities for 2025 commit to CAP simplification – MEP Maria Walsh

The European Commission’s commitment to CAP simplification measures will be welcomed by Irish farmers, but the devil is in the detail, MEP Maria Walsh has said. The European Commission unveiled its 2025 Work Programme in Strasbourg today, and includes 51 new initiatives and lists 37 laws and programs that are up for review over the […]
Commission must clarify details of €1 billion Mercosur support fund for farmers – MEP Maria Walsh

The European Commission must outline how the proposed €1 billion Mercosur ‘safety net’ fund will help Irish farmers in practice, MEP Maria Walsh has said. MEP Walsh raised the issue of support for farmers at a meeting of the European Parliament Agriculture Committee with Maroš Šefčovič, Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security, and Christophe Hansen, […]
MEP Maria Walsh welcomes European Agriculture Commissioner for event on future of Irish farming

MEP Maria Walsh welcomed European Commissioner for Agriculture Christophe Hansen to Dublin today for an event with Irish farmers on the key issues facing the agriculture sector. Commissioner Hansen and MEP Walsh met with industry stakeholders, including young farmers, to discuss a range of topics including generational renewal, mental health and sustainability, among other key […]
MEP Walsh highlights plague of mental health in farming with European Commissioner for Agriculture

The epidemic of mental health problems amongst farmers must act as a wake-up call for EU policy makers, MEP Maria Walsh said in a meeting with the European Commissioner for Agriculture. MEP Walsh is a member of the European Parliament’s Agriculture Committee and used the meeting with Commissioner for Agriculture Christophe Hansen as an opportunity […]
Plague of TB a modern day reality for many Irish farmers – MEP Maria Walsh

The EU must support Irish efforts to achieve the eradication of TB. The European Commission must support Irish efforts to achieve TB-free status over the coming years to protect the economic viability and international reputation of our agricultural sector, MEP Maria Walsh has said. Ahead of a debate on animal health in the European Parliament […]
Government must double down on request for review of EU-Israel Association Agreement – MEP Maria Walsh

More than six months on, the lack of a response from the European Commission to Ireland’s request for a review of the EU-Israel Association Agreement is deeply disappointing, MEP Maria Walsh has said. MEP Maria Walsh has written to An Taoiseach Simon Harris requesting that he doubles down on the Irish Government’s request to President […]